Malawi: MEC denies that stolen hard disk had the voters register roll

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has come in the open to deny allegations that a hard disk that was stolen by its temporary data entry clerk, Hanleck Bwetule, contained the voters register roll.Reports circulated that a hard disk containing a voters register roll had been stolen by an official at the Commission casting doubts over the credibility of the 2014 elections.However, MEC has released a statement denying the reports. Below is the report:

“PRESS RELEASE
(for immediate and urgent release to all Political Parties and the Media)

STEALING OF EXTERNAL HARD DISK BY TEMPORARY DATA ENTRY CLERK

The Malawi Electoral Commission would like to correct some misinformation regarding an external hard disk that was stolen on Saturday, 22nd February, 2014.The Commission would like to inform the public that the external hard disk which was stolen by Mr Hanleck Bwetule, who was working as a Temporary Data Entry Clerk, did not contain the voters’ roll. The external hard disk was used within the ICT Department for transferring of documents from one computer to another and NOT storage of the voters roll.

The Commission is assuring all electoral stakeholders and the general public that information about the voters roll is safe and intact. The voters roll, containing information of about 7.5 million registered voters cannot fit into an external hard disk of 500GB. Such information is stored on a server where access is strictly controlled. The public should also know that it was MEC officials who recovered the external hard disk from Mr Bwetule. During interrogation he confessed that he stole the gadget to make up for the deductions on his last month’s payment because of absconding duties. He was later reported to the Police considering that his act was criminal.

Dated at Blantyre this 24th day of February, 2014.

Willie Kalonga
CHIEF ELECTIONS OFFICER”


Source: Face of Malawi